National Sago Utilization Is Still Low, The Ministry Of Industry Encourages Downstreaming Via Product Diversification

Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of Industry)

Minister of Industry (Menperin) Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita revealed that the use of sago in Indonesia is currently still low.

It is known, less than 4 percent of the national sago area or about 212,468 hectares (ha).

The low utilization of sago is due to constraints by the lack of infrastructure, supporting facilities, skills and human resource capacity.

Not only that, the low popularity of sago commodities is also an obstacle to development which ultimately limits the achievement of this commodity potential.

Agus added that Indonesia has the potential for sago land to reach 5.5 million hectares or 85 percent of the total potential sago land area around the world.

The largest distribution of sago land is in Papua. Meanwhile, the largest national sago producer currently comes from Riau.

"Although it has wide land potential and various uses, sago utilization is still low," said Minister of Industry Agus in a written statement, Thursday, October 3.

From this condition, Agus said, the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) continues to increase the downstreaming of sago commodities through several steps.

First, developing product diversification and facilitation of cooperation between the sago processing industry and the user industry.

Second, encourage the Domestic Component Level certification program (TKDN) and the machine or equipment restructuring program for the sago processing industry.

Efforts to downstream through sago diversification have now also been accelerated with local food diversification rules and local raw material-based business development (including sago).

In addition, Agus continued, the government has issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 81 of 2024 concerning the Acceleration of Food Diversity Based on Potential Local Resources.

"It is hoped that with this regulation, the government's program will be more focused and synergistic in encouraging the acceleration of industrial development and the use of food based on local raw materials," he said.

It is known that the potential for sago is not only limited to the food sector.

The reason is, if further research and development is carried out, there are still many potential sago that can be explored, such as sweeteners, bioethanol and biofuels.